Audrain County hog farms propel COVID-19 outbreak

Friday

The biggest increase any Missouri county has seen so far, a doubling of the number of cases of COVID-19 in a single day, hit Audrain County on Friday.

The Audrain County Health Department, which has been dealing with an outbreak associated with pork production in Paris and Thompson, reported 24 new confirmed infections.

The county had 22 active cases Thursday afternoon. That jumped to 46 Friday.

The number of cases in the county started to grow Monday after four were confirmed at concentrated animal feeding operations operated by Brenneman Pork of Washington, Iowa. It is the first known instance of a COVID-19 outbreak at a swine production facility in Missouri.

An additional 11 were confirmed Tuesday, with nine tied to the Thompson and Paris farms. Five were confirmed Wednesday, one Thursday and 24 Friday.

The health department has stopped identifying how many cases are associated with the hog production. Health Director Sandra Hewlett did not immediately respond to a message Friday seeking additional information.

Employees brought to the United States under the TN-Visa program work at the farms, Brenneman Pork owners Rob and Char Brenneman said in a statement provided to the Ledger. They live in a mobile home court in a remote area of Audrain County.

“Last week, we had some employees at our Missouri location beginning to show symptoms of COVID-19,” the statement reads. “Testing was done immediately.”

The company provided all employees copies of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines in early March for COVID-19 prevention, the company stated. Additional safety protocols also were put in place.

In their housing, employees have individual bedrooms and are able to isolate and social distance, the statement read.

“Team members were directed to stay home and isolate if they were feeling sick,” the statement read.

Staff were encouraged to seek appropriate medical treatment as well.

The farms are working in split shifts. Frequent disinfecting was required in high-travel areas and staff were educated on social distancing.

The state health department on Friday reported the most new cases this week, with 218 additional confirmed cases bringing the total to 11,558 since the pandemic began. Ten new deaths brought that total to 671.

HELP FOR NURSING HOMES

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Friday began distributing more than $165 million in federal relief funds to skilled nursing facilities across Missouri.

Since the start of this year, skilled nursing facilities nationwide have seen a 6% decline in patient population as residents chose other care settings or died from the virus, HHS said.

The department said the funding can be used for critical needs such as labor, increasing testing capacity, acquiring personal protective equipment and other expenses directly connected to the pandemic.

KC POOLS TO STAY CLOSED

The Kansas City Parks and Recreation Department announced that it will not open any of its 14 pools or 14 spray grounds this summer, due to concerns about spreading the coronavirus. The department said in a tweet that decision was made after consultation with the city health department.

CAPE GIRARDEAU BLOOD STUDY

A blood sample study in southeast Missouri indicates that many people may have had the coronavirus and not realized it.

The Cape Girardeau Public Health Center studied blood samples collected last week from 1,845 county residents, in search of coronavirus antibodies, the Southeast Missourian reported. Preliminary results showed that 16 participants had the antibodies. Based on the study, it’s possible that more than 650 of the county’s 79,000 residents could have had COVID-19 and not known it, health center officials said.

HOSPITAL WORKERS REUSING MASKS

N95 masks are meant for one-time use, but the shortage of the protective masks is forcing front-line workers at Mercy hospitals in Missouri and three other states to use them for three shifts in a row.

Mercy spokesman Joe Poelker confirmed to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the three-time reuse policy was instituted across its hospitals in early April to help preserve the supply. The tight-fitting masks have filtration materials capable of blocking 95% of particles transmitted in the air by coughs, sneezes and medical procedures.

Federal crisis guidelines recommend storing the masks for at least five days in between shifts.

Mercy, based in suburban St. Louis, operates hospitals in Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Kansas.

PARKING LOT DINING IN KC

The city council in Kansas City on Thursday approved guidelines allowing restaurants and bars to set up temporary dining areas in parking lots, sidewalks and green spaces.

KCUR reported that under the new guidelines, restaurants and bars must space tables 10 feet apart, a potential challenge for smaller venues. The council also agreed to allow establishments to continue selling liquor to-go.

WORKERS RELUCTANT TO RETURN

Jana Franklin is ready to reopen her three St. Louis-area Jimmy John’s franchises, but convincing staff to return is proving difficult.

Franklin told the Post-Dispatch that she was forced to lay off around two dozen workers when dining rooms closed as part of the coronavirus shutdown. When she reaches out asking them to return, “It’s crickets,” she said.

The emergency response to the pandemic supplemented state unemployment programs with $600 weekly payments for displaced workers. In Missouri, payments can reach as high as $920 before taxes, and some workers have said they’re making more money by not working.

Missouri is asking employers to report workers who refuse to return, allowing the state to remove them from unemployment rolls. Franklin is still weighing how to handle that request.

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